the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第79章

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eroes；　she　possessed　a　lyrical　poetry　　so　rich　and　harmonious　that　none　could　resist　its　charm。　The　majority；　　too；　of　the　spectatorsat　least　in　the　citiesunderstood　the　meaning　　of　mythological　figures；　and　could　guess　without　much　difficulty　at　the　　allegorical　and　historical；　which　were　drawn　from　sources　familiar　to　　the　mass　of　Italians。

This　point　needs　to　be　more　fully　discussed。　The　Middle　Ages　were　　essentially　the　ages　of　allegory。　Theology　and　philosophy　treated　their　　categories　as　independent　beings；　and　poetry　and　art　had　but　little　to　　add；　in　order　to　give　them　personality。　Here　all　the　countries　of　the　　West　were　on　the　same　level。

Their　world　of　ideas　was　rich　enough　in　types　and　figures；　but　when　　these　were　put　into　concrete　shape；　the　costume　and　attributes　were　　likely　to　be　unintelligible　and　unsuited　to　the　popular　taste。　This；　　even　in　Italy；　was　often　the　case；　and　not　only　so　during　the　whole　　period　of　the　Renaissance；　but　down　to　a　still　later　time。　To　produce　　the　confusion；　it　was　enough　if　a　predicate　of　the　allegorical　figures　　was　wrongly　translated　by　an　attribute。　Even　Dante　is　not　wholly　free　　from　such　errors；　and；　indeed；　he　prides　himself　on　the　obscurity　of　　his　allegories　in　general。　Petrarch；　in　his　'Trionfi；'　attempts　to　give　　clear；　if　short；　descriptions　of　at　all　events　the　figures　of　Love；　of　　Chastity；　of　Death；　and　of　Fame。　Others　again　load　their　allegories　　with　inappropriate　attributes。　In　the　Satires　of　Vinciguerra；　for　　example；　Envy　is　depicted　with　rough；　iron　teeth；　Gluttony　as　biting　　its　own　lips；　and　with　a　shock　of　tangled　hair；　the　latter　probably　to　　show　its　indifference　to　all　that　is　not　meat　and　drink。　We　cannot　here　　discuss　the　bad　influence　of　these　misunderstandings　on　the　plastic　　arts。　They；　like　poetry；　might　think　themselves　fortunate　if　allegory　　could　be　expressed　by　a　mythological　figureby　a　figure　which　　antiquity　saved　from　absurdityif　Mars　might　stand　for　war；　and　Diana　　for　the　love　of　the　chase。

Nevertheless　art　and　poetry　had　better　allegories　than　these　to　offer；　　and　we　may　assume　with　regard　to　such　figures　of　this　kind　as　appeared　　in　the　Italian　festivals；　that　the　public　required　them　to　be　clearly　　and　vividly　characteristic；　since　its　previous　training　had　fitted　it　　to　be　a　competent　critic。　Elsewhere；　particularly　at　the　Burgundian　　court；　the　most　inexpressive　figures；　and　even　mere　symbols；　were　　allowed　to　pass；　since　to　understand；　or　to　seem　to　understand　them；　　was　a　part　of　aristocratic　breeding。　On　the　occasion　of　the　famous　　'Oath　of　the　Pheasant'　in　the　year　1454；　the　beautiful　young　　horsewoman；　who　appears　as　'Queen　of　Pleasure；'　is　the　only　pleasing　　allegory。　The　huge　epergnes；　with　automatic　or　even　living　figures　　within　them；　are　either　mere　curiosities　or　are　intended　to　convey　some　　clumsy　moral　lesson。　A　naked　female　statue　guarding　a　live　lion　was　　supposed　to　represent　Constantinople　and　its　future　savior；　the　Duke　of　　Burgundy。　The　rest；　with　the　exception　of　a　Pantomime　Jason　in　　Colchisseems　either　too　recondite　to　be　understood　or　to　have　no　　sense　at　all。　Oliver　de　la　Marche；　to　whom　we　owe　the　description　of　　the　scene　（Memoires；　ch。　29）；　appeared　costumed　as　'The　Church；'　in　a　　tower　on　the　back　of　an　elephant；　and　sang　a　long　elegy　on　the　victory　　of　the　unbelievers。

But　although　the　allegorical　element　in　the　poetry；　the　art；　and　the　　festivals　of　Italy　is　superior　both　in　good　taste　and　in　unity　of　　conception　to　what　we　find　in　other　countries；　yet　it　is　not　in　these　　qualities　that　it　is　most　characteristic　and　unique。　The　decisive　point　　of　superiority　lay　rather　in　the　fact　that；　besides　the　　personifications　of　abstract　qualities；　historical　rep…　resentatives　of　　them　were　introduced　in　great　numberthat　both　poetry　and　plastic　art　　were　accustomed　to　represent　famous　men　and　women。　The　'Divine　Comedy；'　　the　'Trionfi'　of　Petrarch；　the　'Amorosa　Visione'　of　Boccaccioall　of　　them　works　constructed　on　this　principleand　the　great　diffusion　of　　culture　which　took　place　under　the　influence　of　antiquity；　had　made　the　　nation　familiar　with　this　historical　element。　These　figures　now　　appeared　at　festivals；　either　individualized；　as　definite　masks；　or　in　　groups；　as　characteristic　attendants　on　some　leading　allegorical　　figure。　The　art　of　grouping　and　composition　was　thus　learnt　in　Italy　at　　a　time　when　the　most　splendid　exhibitions　in　other　countries　were　made　　up　of　unintelligible　symbolism　or　unmeaning　puerilities。

Let　us　begin　with　that　kind　of　festival　which　is　perhaps　the　oldest　of　　allthe　Mysteries。　They　resembled　in　their　main　features　those　　performed　in　the　rest　of　Europe。　In　the　public　squares；　in　the　churches　　and　in　the　cloisters；　extensive　scaffolds　were　constructed；　the　upper　　story　of　which　served　as　a　Paradise　to　open　and　shut　at　will；　and　the　　ground…floor　often　as　8　Hell；　while　between　the　two　lay　the　stage　　properly　so　called；　representing　the　scene　of　all　the　earthly　events　of　　the　drama　In　Italy；　as　elsewhere；　the　biblical　or　legendary　play　often　　began　with　an　introductory　dialogue　between　Apostles；　Prophets；　Sibyls；　　Virtues；　and　Fathers　of　the　Church；　and　sometimes　ended　with　a　dance。　　As　a　matter　of　course　the　half…comic　'Intermezzi'　of　secondary　　characters　were　not　wanting　in　Italy；　yet　this　feature　was　hardly　so　　broadly　marked　as　in　northern　countries。　The　artificial　means　by　which　　figures　were　made　to　rise　and　float　in　the　airone　of　the　chief　　delights　of　these　representationswere　probably　much　better　understood　　in　Italy　than　elsewhere；　and　at　Florence　in　the　fourteenth　century　the　　hitches　in　these　performances　were　a　stock　subject　of　ridicule。　Soon　　afterwards　Brunellesco　invented　for　the　Feast　of　the　Annunciation　in　　the　Piazza　San　Felice　a　marvelous　ap…　paratus　consisting　of　a　heavenly　　globe　surrounded　by　two　circles　of　angels；　out　of　which　Gabriel　flew　　down　in　a　machine　shaped　like　an　almond。　Cecca；　too；　devised　mechanisms　　for　such　displays。　The　spiritual　corporations　or　the　quarters　of　the　　city　which　undertook　the　charge　and　in　part　the　performance　of　these　　plays　spared；　at　all　events　in　the　larger　towns；　no　trouble　and　expense　　to　render　them　as　perfect　and　artistic　as　possible。　The　same　was　no　　doubt　the　case　at　the　great　court　festivals；　when　Mysteries　were　acted　　as　well　as　pantomimes　and　secular　dramas。　The　court　of　Pietro　Riario　　and　that　of　Ferrara　were　assuredly　not　wanting　in　all　that　human　　invention　could　produce。　When　we　picture　to　ourselves　the　theatrical　　talent　and　the　splendid　costumes　of　the　actors；　the　scenes　constructed　　in　the　style　of　the　architecture　of　the　period；　and　hung　with　garlands　　and　tapestry；　and　in　the　background　the　noble　buildings　of　an　Italian　　piazza；　or　the　slender　columns　of　some　great　courtyard　or　cloister；　the　　effect　is　one　of　great　brilliance。　But　just　as　the　secular　drama　　suffered　from　this　passion　for　display；　so　the　higher　poetical　　development　of　the　Mystery　was　arrested　by　the　same　cause。　In　the　texts　　which　are　left　we　find　for　the　most　part　the　poorest　dramatic　　groundwork；　relieved　now　and　then　by　a　fine　lyrical　or　rhetorical　　passage；　but　no　trace　of　the　grand　symbolic　enthusiasm　which　　distinguishes　the　'Autos　Sacramentales'　of　Calderon。

In　the　smaller　towns；　where　the　scenic　display　was　less；　the　effect　of　　these　spiritual　plays　on　the　character　of　the　spectators　may　have　been　　greater。　We　read　that　one　of　the　great　preachers　of　repentance　of　whom　　more　will　be　said　later　on；　Roberto　da　Lecce；　closed　his　Lenten　sermons　　during　the　plague　of　1448；　at　Perugia；　with　a　representation　of　the　　Passion。　The　piece　followed　the　New　Testament　closely。　The　actors　were　　few；　but　the　whole　people　wept　aloud。　It　is　true　that　on　such　occasions　　emotional　stimulants　were　resorted　to　which　were　borrowed　from　the　　crudest　realism。　We　are　reminded　of　the　pictures　of　Matteo　da　Siena；　or　　of　the　groups　of　clay…figures　by　Guido　Mazzoni；　when　we　read　that　the　　actor　who　took　the　part　of　Christ　appeared　covered　with　welts　and　　apparently　sweating　blood；　and　even　bleeding　from　a　wound　in　the　side。

The　special　occasions　on　which　these　mysteries　were　performed；　apart　　from　the　great　festivals　of　the　Church；　from　princely　wedd